Taran Killam's Other Comic Career

Taran Killiam's "The Illegitimates"

If you've ever wondered how James Bond somehow went through his entire career without ever having a child, you're not alone. Saturday Night Live star Taran Killam turned that idea into the origin of his new six-issue comic book seriesThe Illegitimates, in which the children of a famous spy are recruited to battle his arch nemesis.

"I'm like, 'If they're going to town, there's no way he's being safe,'" Killam says of Bond and Pussy Galore's rendezvous at the end of Goldfinger. "Then there's The World Is Not Enough, the one with Denise Richards where she plays Christmas Jones literally for the line at the end of the movie, 'I guess Christmas doesn't only come once a year,' which is so absurd. It's a funny idea, especially for a kid who always listened to the classes about safe sex."

The comic, which was co-written by Marc Andreyko and illustrated by Kevin Sharpe, was long a dream for Killam, an avid comic fan. "I love X-Men and The Avengers, anything where you can pick your horse – 'I'm most like that guy.' "

Killam – who also plays a role in the acclaimed 12 Years a Slave – admits to being incredibly jealous of his wife, How I Met Your Mother star Colbie Smulders, who had a role in the big-screen adaption of the Avengers. "Both she and I have taken on the careers that the other one covets. I'm in a period drama that will most likely be an Oscar-nominated film, and she's the pilot of the Helicarrier. It's a twisted world."

When it comes to his Saturday Night Live castmates, Killam cites Bobby Moynihan as his "nerd brother," but says there's another, soon-to-be-ex star that can compete. "The secret geek on the 17th floor is Seth. Seth plays off the handsome intellectual who does political jokes, but he is a dweeb. Don't let him fool you."

As for the women on the show? There's no relating to them via comics. "They're all much hipper and savvier than any of the boys. The females on the show are the alphas, more talented, smarter. We cower to them. It is Revenge of the Nerds."